Harvest Eating celebrates the enjoyment of seasonal, organic and local foods. It is not a fad or a diet. It's a healthy eating lifestyle that provides long-term benefits including sustained weight loss, increased energy, reduced chance of long-term illness and so much more.

Harvesteating.com is a resource dedicated to providing the tools necessary for adopting the Harvest Eating lifestyle - whether you choose to live it everyday, or every now and then. Members of the Harvest Eating community can learn about the benefits of seasonal, organic and local foods and discover places to shop for them that possess character and sense of community. Then, they enjoy a wealth of tools and recipes created by Chef Keith Snow - Harvest Eating's founder - to create hundreds of easy-to-prepare recipes while looking like a star in the kitchen.

We're the first to admit that Harvest Eating might not be right for everyone. If you're looking for a quick way to lose weight fast in time for a special event next week, we're probably not what you're looking for. But, if you're looking to develop long-term healthy eating habits that will improve quality of life for you and your family, to support organizations focused on long-term sustainability, and to begin creating exceptional, easy-to-prepare seasonal dishes in your kitchen, we might just be right for you.

Quite simply, to eat seasonal means to consume fruits and vegetables only during the time of year, or season in which they are harvested. Different seasons bring with them the growth and subsequent harvest of different produce as dictated by the climate in which they are grown. For centuries, many cultures have eaten a diet based solely on fruits and vegetables available only during specific seasons. Over the past 50 years industrialization and the "enhancement" of natural foods has made it possible to eat all fruits and vegetables at any time of the year, regardless of the season. The result is a diet of genetically or chemically modified foods that are often eaten months after they are picked from the ground, and therefore contain only a fraction of their original nutritional value. Eating seasonally has several benefits, it allows you to enjoy the ripest, freshest ingredients possible, it provides an opportunity to support local farmers who transport their goods the shortest distance to your plate, and it also provides an opportunity to experiment with delicious foods you might not have otherwise considered.

With more and more people becoming concerned both about the foods they eat and the environment, organic foods have quickly moved from the fringe to mainstream. Organic foods are foods grown without the assistance of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides - all chemicals that are potentially harmful to those who consume them, and to the environment. Organic agriculture methods are focused on promoting and enhancing soil biodiversity, meaning they focus on putting back into the soil the same good things they take from it. That way the soil is able to naturally improve year over year. In 2001 the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Organic Standards Board developed the National Organic Standards. From these standards came the requirement that all products labeled "100% Organic" contain only organically produced ingredients and that any product labeled "Organic" contain at least 95% organically grown ingredients. The term "Certified Organic" is now commonly found on many products you see today. That mark denotes the product has been certified by an agency accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture and that it meets all the organic standards associated with the production and handling of that product.

Did you know the average meal travels 1500 miles to get to your dinner plate? Eating locally means eating foods that are grown or raised within a relatively short distance from your home. Eating locally will ensure you are consuming the freshest ingredients, containing optimal nutritional values. By eating locally you also help protect the environment by not consuming foods that take large amounts of fuel and energy to ship across the country. As well, you support local farmers and food providers focused on sustainable farming practices while also supporting the contributions they make to your local economy. Eating locally is not always feasible and not always the most convenient thing to do. But, if you can find local food providers in your area and acquire foods from them, you'll find yourself shopping in places with more character than your local store and you'll be doing a world of good for yourself, your local economy and the environment.